I’m worried about the fate of Binghamton.

You see, the Greater Binghamton area is getting ready. Shutters are being flung open, and chains are being removed from doors. Like turtles emerging from their shells, Binghamton residents are beginning to pop their heads out of their homes. Binghamton is preparing for the “Peace Time.”

The Peace Time is the three month long holiday that Broome County folk observe between May and August to celebrate the retreat of students. The Bingbing count the Peace Time as its favorite season (the term with which the unique animal that inhabits Binghamton is usually labeled, “Townie,” is actually a misnomer. “Townie” is the genus, and “Bingbing” is the species).

Last year, I stayed here during the Peace Time, observing the native Bingbing in its natural habitat, and what I saw was absolutely astounding. In mid-May, when the Bingbing is liberated from the shadow of SUNY-Binghamton, its species flourishes like the Limbaugh family on a visit to Hershey, PA.

A Bingbing is often skittish and unassuming between the months of September and May. When it sees students, its initial reaction is to run and hide. However, sometimes when it can’t hide, it will assume an aggressive demeanor, standing on its hind legs and growling. If the gnarl of a Bingbing still does not emancipate it from the sights of a student, it will resort to its most desperate maneuver, which, of course, is offering the student a ride back to campus at the cost of about a gallon of gas.

But during the Peace Time, the Bingbing are kind to strangers, jovial even.

It’s an amazing annual occurrence that has me worried, because I think the native Bingbing species is in for a shock this time around. This summer, for whatever reason, a lot more students are staying in Binghamton. Like, a shitload more.

Whereas last year I counted just a few of my peers walking among the Bingbing, this year I am estimating that nearly thirty people whom I count as within my network of associates will be habitating the Binghamton area.

Even Pipe Dream itself covered this phenomenon. In “Summer Session Proves Popular at BU” (5/05/06), it was reported that staying in Binghamton for summer classes has indeed become “popular.”

I fear for the Bingbing.

Will it be utterly confused on May 21 when it forages in Downtown Binghamton and spots a covey of students? Will we see gaggles of Bingbings flocking back to their homes, assuming they arose from hibernation a week too early? Will we see a Bingbing-Studentstudent Warwar?

Perhaps, but maybe something else will happen. This summer, a lot of students will find that this city, while often boring, is actually quite nice when the trees have leaves, the sun is visible and it doesn’t snow (often).

Over the past year, there’s been a lot in the news about bad “town-gown” relations at other schools; from Madison, Wis., where students and residents have tinkered on the brink of a small-scale armed conflict, to the recent Durham-Duke animosity that the lacrosse scandal has put in the spotlight.

With BU students ingraining themselves further and further into the community (what with the new Education and Community Development Center being built Downtown), hopefully this summer will see the rise of some sort of Bingbing-student hybrid.

Graham Kates is a junior political science major, who actually runs a Bingbing farm outside of Vestal. He sells Bingbing eggs, wool, and feet.